Karen is a NINJA CPA Blogger.

Hey everyone! It has been several weeks since my last blog and things have been kind of crazy.

I work at a not-for-profit hospital and our year end is September 30th. Our external auditors arrived mid-November and wrapped up their field work the week before Christmas.

I have to prepare preliminary and unaudited statements for six entities in addition to a consolidated statement. Then I have to turn around and prepare lead schedules and audit statements for all affiliates.

Um huh that consolidated cash flow is real sweet especially when throwing in discontinued operations. Hey, but there is a positive side to the cash flow preparation!! I think I could do cash flows in my sleep.

Like most Southern women, I love to bake. Before starting this crazy CPA exam journey, I took cake decorating classes. I have not promoted my little side business since starting this process but on occasion I will take orders.

I have a regular customer who ordered two huge cakes from me for Christmas. One cake was what she has come to order as a mounds cake. I split the layers, poke holes in the layers, and then pour a mixture of sour cream, sugar and coconut in between the layers. This sits in the refrigerator for a couple days and then I decorate with chocolate buttercream icing.

I also gave a coconut cake (layers are prepared the same way but decorated with coconut buttercream icing) to my karate instructor as this is his favorite. And then there were the cupcakes that I made for a niece's Christmas party at school and cupcakes for my family.

During all of this busy time I have still managed to stay on track with my FAR studying. In the past when I did not receive a passing score, I go back and study the information like it was the first time. And this third time with FAR is no different.

I listen to lectures, do countless MCQs, SIMS and yes even highlight again. I listen to the complete FAR NINJA Audio at least once a day while I am at work. I am knocking on the door of freedom of studying and want so much for this process to be over.

In my first blog, I mentioned that one of the reasons that I decided to give the CPA exam another try is that in the State of Georgia I am grandfathered in at 120 hours of education to get licensed. In Georgia, if you have taken the exam prior to 1998, the 150 hour requirement is not applicable.

I became aware of this fact in the summer of 2010 when I ran into a girl I had gone to high school with. She has the same level of hours and is now a licensed CPA. I knew she had taken the exam prior to 1998 and if she could get licensed well then maybe………..

Two and a half years later, thousands of dollars spent on exam materials, fees, highlighters, pens and legal pads, I am knocking on the door of study freedom. I saw my friend a couple of weeks ago here at the hospital and it just gave me renewed inspiration to finish the marathon.

I see how far (hate that word) I have came in those two and a half years. I am hoping that seeing my friend was a good luck sign.

As I write this, it is New Year's Eve and a new testing window is starting in a couple of days. Guess I will be at home studying tonight. Good luck to everyone taking exams. I hope and pray that everyone gets the results that we are so deserving of.

Karen